Two weeks ago I attended the residents’ meeting regarding the proposed Mullumbimby affordable housing development (on public land) bordering several local businesses.
I was saddened to witness some of the councillors berating the residents for expressing their views on this proposal. The current proposal will see its ONLY access onto a laneway frequented by commercial vehicles, the proposed residents living with poor ventilation and light, inadequate parking lots allocated for future residents, the loss of our public car park, the concerning loss of access for the businesses bordering this car park, the need for one metre of fill, and the obvious loss of local amenity. I could go on.
Frankly a clear alternative is the parking lot beside the Council chambers. This proposal can either be built above the retained car park on land which is well ventilated and has a lot of natural light, or built on this site and car parking can be provided for Byron Shire Council staff on the proposed parking areas near the rail line. When this was raised at the meeting as an alternative to the current proposal, Mayor Ndiaye said that this would require solar panels being moved (!) and that Byron Council may also wish to expand the Council building in the future – and so this option was not considered. This astounded me as there is clearly sufficient space for both this proposed residential development and for Council’s possible future expansion.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
